Create Partnerships, Don’t do it for free

Pissy subway staircases, on trains, on buses, at airport gates, outside of party’s screaming into the phone, when I was extremely exhausted from 2 hour commutes home, during my lunch breaks, before work, after work, during major career and life changes.

Over the past seven years these are all the places and times i’ve helped over 30+ people with their; tech issues, resumes, cover letters, mock interviews, educational advice, general career advice and more. Some people i’ve helped on numerous occasions. Many of which had my phone number for on-demand help. I was working for other companies full-time, so I did everything for free. I never asked anyone for any favors in return.

I knew how tough it was for some to learn how to properly navigate their career and I wanted to teach people what I learned. Simply so they wouldn’t make some of the mistakes I made. In addition to teaching them the cool things that helped me grow professionally and personally.

I did a soft launch of an actual business for my services in late 2015, but put it on hold. In late 2016, I started doing a re-launch and AQ’s Corner has been on the move ever since. So from 2015-2017, i’ve reached out to the majority of the people i’ve helped over the years asking them if they can do written recommendations about their specific experiences with me.

Only a handful have gotten back to me. I was speaking to another Entrepreneur about this just a few days ago, he is also just starting out. He advised that he has and is experiencing the exact same thing.

I must admit that this is my fault for not seeing an opportunity to create partnerships, while I was actually doing the work. It was an amateur move on my part and I will not be making the same mistake again. Now that I am an actual business owner for any services rendered no matter who you are, you must either become a business partner or a customer.

Partnerships aren’t that difficult. Sometimes it’s as simple as sharing someone’s blog, product or service if it has helped you. Or if it is something you truly believe in. Instead of constantly telling them in their inbox, but never doing anything publicly to help them move forward. No one is telling you to sell your soul for something you don’t believe in. Only to support people you know, not just “well known” people you don’t know.

I don’t think this is so much of a lesson about Entrepreneurship as it is about business itself. Whether you have your own business or you work for someone else, you should be careful of what you do for free. Especially if people constantly call on you for it and it takes time out of your life. If you are wondering about a valuable skill, you think you may have, check out my article: 4 Signs it’s not just a hobby.

I’m about to get 1980’s on you and say,

“If you got mad skills, make sure you get what you deserve, then rewind it and play it back til the cassette tape pops ”

Whether you are a forever careerist or a forever entrepreneur, or both, your goal should be to not just keep elevating, but also getting what’s due to you! Everyone else does, why not you!